Japan

Japanese mourn ex-PM Shinzo Abe a day after his assassination

NARA, Japan, July 9 (Reuters) - A steady stream of mourners on Saturday visited the scene of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's assassination in the western city of Nara, an unusual…

Read More Here

UPDATED: Japan ex-PM Abe dies after being shot while making a speech

NARA, Japan, July 8 (Reuters) - Former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, the longest-serving leader of modern Japan, was gunned down on Friday while campaigning for a parliamentary election, shocking a country where…

Read More Here

FACTBOX-Major episodes of violence against politicians in Japan

July 8 (Reuters) - Former Japanese leader Shinzo Abe, one of Japan's most influential politicians in modern times, died on Friday after being shot at a campaign event. The man who is…

Read More Here

UPDATED: Fatal magnitude 6.1 quake on Iran Gulf coast, 5.9 earthquake strikes Japan’s Hokkaido region

At least five people were killed and 49 injured by a magnitude 6.1 earthquake in southern Iran early on Saturday, state media reported, with the area also hit soon after…

Read More Here

Japanese asked to save power as country’s east sizzles

TOKYO, July 1 (Reuters) - The highest temperatures for the season since record-keeping began have scorched much of eastern Japan for a week, prompting the government to ask citizens to cut power…

Read More Here

Photo Story: Toshio Suzuki and Studio Ghibli Exhibition in Tokyo

A staff member attends the press preview of the 'Toshio Suzuki and Studio Ghibli Exhibition' at Warehouse Terrada in Tokyo, Japan, 30 June 2022. The exhibition opens to the public…

Read More Here

Japan’s June heatwave sizzles into hottest day, crunch time for power supply

TOKYO, June 29 (Reuters) - Japan braced on Wednesday for its hottest day yet of a record-breaking June heatwave as fears grew about a shortage of electricity to keep air conditioners whirring…

Read More Here

Appeal to save energy as scorching summer heat batters Tokyo

YOKOHAMA, June 26 (Reuters) - The Japanese government warned on Sunday that electric power supplies would be strained in the Tokyo area on Monday, calling on people to save energy as scorching…

Read More Here

Japan court rules ban on same-sex marriage constitutional

A Japanese court has ruled that a ban on same-sex marriage is not unconstitutional. The Osaka court said that marriage was defined as being only between opposite genders and not enough…

Read More Here

Earthquake jolts Ishikawa in central Japan – NHK

TOKYO (Reuters) - An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 5.2 hit central Japan on Sunday, the national broadcaster NHK said. The epicentre of the earthquake was Ishikawa Prefecture, NHK…

Read More Here

Japan runs biggest trade deficit in more than 8 years in May

TOKYO, June 16 (Reuters) - Japan ran its biggest single-month trade deficit in more than eight years in May as high commodity prices and declines in the yen swelled imports, clouding the…

Read More Here

Study in Japan shows cats can remember names of their friends and owners

A new study carried out in Japan, showed that cats living in houses are actually able to recognise their first names and those of other felines, the study shows. They…

Read More Here

Japan to ‘drastically strengthen’ military capability

TOKYO, May 27 (Reuters) - Japan aims to "drastically strengthen" its military capabilities, according to an economic policy draft seen by Reuters, as officials worry that Russia's invasion of Ukraine…

Read More Here

With eye on China, and U.S. ties, Japan’s universities to screen foreigners

TOKYO, May 23 (Reuters) - Japan is asking universities for greater scrutiny of foreign students and scholars to prevent technology leaks to places like China, partly for its own national security but…

Read More Here

UPDATED: Biden says he would be willing to use force to defend Taiwan

TOKYO, May 23 (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden said on Monday he would be willing to use force to defend Taiwan, in a series of critical comments about China he made…

Read More Here

In Japan, Biden to launch economic plan for region sceptical on benefits

TOKYO, May 22 (Reuters) - President Joe Biden headed to Japan on Sunday to launch a plan for greater U.S. economic engagement with the Indo-Pacific, facing criticism even before the programme is…

Read More Here

Fukushima nuclear power plant water release plan given initial nod

TOKYO, May 18 (Reuters) - Japan's Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA) granted an initial approval on Wednesday for a Tokyo Electric Power's (Tepco) plan for releasing water from the destroyed Fukushima…

Read More Here

EU’s Michel, on Hiroshima visit, says global security is under threat

TOKYO, May 13 (Reuters) - European Council President Charles Michel who is visiting Japan's Hiroshima, the first city to suffer an atomic bombing, on Friday said global security was under threat from…

Read More Here

EU seeks bigger role in Asia’s ‘theatre of tensions’, agrees with Japan on Russia cooperation

TOKYO, May 12 (Reuters) - European Union leaders said on Thursday that the EU wants to become a bigger actor in Asia, which they termed a "theatre of tensions", as they warned…

Read More Here

Ukraine plight could be replicated in East Asia, Japan’s Kishida warns

LONDON, May 6 (Reuters) - Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida warned that the invasion of Ukraine could be replicated in East Asia if leading powers do not respond as one, saying peace and stability…

Read More Here

Italy’s Draghi thanks Japan for redirecting LNG cargoes to Europe, Russia bars entry to Japanese PM

ROME, May 4 (Reuters) - Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi thanked Japan on Wednesday for redirecting liquefied natural gas (LNG) cargoes destined for third countries to Europe. Europe, which sources about 40%…

Read More Here

Japan coast guard searching for missing sightseeing boat with 26 on board

TOKYO, April 23 (Reuters) - Japan's coast guard was searching off the northern island of Hokkaido after a sightseeing boat with 26 people on board went missing on Saturday, public broadcaster NHK…

Read More Here

Japan to ban coal imports from Russia, announces additional sanctions

TOKYO, April 8 (Reuters) - Japan, the world's third-largest coal importer, said on Friday it will ban coal imports from Russia and impose a wide range of additional sanctions, including freezing the…

Read More Here

Magnitude 4.7 shakes buildings in Tokyo briefly, no tsunami warning

TOKYO, March 31 (Reuters) - A magnitude 4.7 earthquake briefly shook buildings in Tokyo, although there appeared to be no immediate damage and no tsunami warning. The earthquake hit northwest…

Read More Here

Russia conducts military drills on isles disputed with Japan

March 26 (Reuters) - Russia was conducting drills on islands claimed by Tokyo, Japanese media said on Saturday, days after Moscow halted peace talks with Japan because of its sanctions over Russia's…

Read More Here

Japan imposes more sanctions on Russian officials, arms exporter

TOKYO, March 18 (Reuters) - Japan said on Friday it will impose sanctions on 15 Russian individuals and nine organisations, including defence officials and the state-owned arms exporter Rosoboronexport. The sanctions, which…

Read More Here

UPDATED: Thousands of northeast Japan homes still without power after earthquake kills four

TOKYO, March 17 (Reuters) - Tens of thousands of Japanese households remained without power on Thursday morning, more than 10 hours after a powerful earthquake that left at least four dead and…

Read More Here

Japan urges crypto firms to comply with sanctions against Russia and Belarus

TOKYO, March 14 (Reuters) - Japanese authorities ordered crypto exchanges on Monday not to process transactions involving crypto assets subject to asset-freeze sanctions against Russia and Belarus over the war in Ukraine.…

Read More Here

Photo Story: Japan marks 11th anniversary of earthquake and tsunami

A woman offers a prayer on the 11th anniversary of Japan's 2011 earthquake and tsunami, in Tokyo, Japan, 11 March 2022. On 11 March 2011 a magnitude 9.0 earthquake triggered…

Read More Here

Japan to freeze assets of 3 Belarusian banks, ban more exports to Russia

TOKYO, March 11 (Reuters) - Japan will freeze the assets of three Belarusian banks from April 10 following new sanctions against the country over its involvement in Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the…

Read More Here

Japan’s JAL, ANA cancel all flights to and from Europe on Thursday

TOKYO, March 3 (Reuters) - Japan Airlines Co Ltd 9201.T and ANA Holdings Inc said they would cancel all flights to and from Europe on Thursday, citing safety concerns following Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The…

Read More Here

Dozens in pacifist Japan volunteer to fight for Ukraine

TOKYO, March 2 (Reuters) - Keiichi Kurogi was one of dozens of men in Japan who offered to join an "international legion" to fight Russian invaders after Ukraine's President Volodymyr…

Read More Here

North Korea fires possible ballistic missile- Japan and South Korea say – UPDATED

North Korea fired what could be a ballistic missile, Japan's coast guard said on Sunday, in what would be the first test since the nuclear-armed country conducted a record number…

Read More Here

Japan’s serious COVID cases climb to 4-month high; record infections

TOKYO, Feb 4 (Reuters) - Japan serious COVID-19 cases crossed 1,000 for the first time in four months, data showed on Friday, as the Omicron variant fuelled record infections and…

Read More Here

Tokyo’s daily COVID-19 infections exceed 20,000 for first time

TOKYO, Feb 2 (Reuters) - Tokyo's new COVID-19 cases exceeded 20,000 for the first time on Wednesday, dimming hopes that an Omicron-fueled wave of infections is peaking out in Japan.…

Read More Here

U.S. condemns N.Korea missile launch, urges no more destabilising acts

SEOUL, Jan 30 (Reuters) - The United States condemned North Korea's latest missile launch and called on Pyongyang to refrain from further destabilising acts, the U.S. military's Indo-Pacific Command said…

Read More Here

Japan’s Tepco hit by setback in clean-up of crippled Fukushima nuclear plant

TOKYO, Jan 23 (Reuters) - The operator of Japan's crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant has found that a coolant solution, used to create an ice wall halting the seepage of…

Read More Here

Southern Japan earthquake injures 13, no tsunami warning

TOKYO (Reuters) -An earthquake with a magnitude of 6.6 jolted southwestern Japan early on Saturday morning, injuring 13 people, the authorities and local media said. No tsunami warning was issued…

Read More Here

As Japan infections surge, so does risk of pandemic fatigue

TOKYO, Jan 21 (Reuters) - Japan on Friday acted to contain a record surge in COVID-19 cases with a return to curbs that have however shown diminishing results, while a…

Read More Here

Japan set to widen COVID-19 curbs as Omicron drives record infections

TOKYO, Jan 19 (Reuters) - Japan was poised on Wednesday to widen COVID-19 curbs to the capital, Tokyo, and a dozen regions covering half the population, as the Omicron variant…

Read More Here

Okinawa, home to U.S. military bases, logs record COVID cases

Jan 15 (Reuters) - Japan's southern prefecture of Okinawa reported record daily numbers of COVID-19 cases on Saturday, fueled by the spread of the highly transmissible Omicron variant. Okinawa, which…

Read More Here

Japanese students injured in stabbing during entrance exams

TOKYO, Jan 15 (Reuters) - Several high school students sitting their university entrance exam in Tokyo were wounded on Saturday in an apparent knife attack, Japanese media said. Public broadcaster…

Read More Here

Yen at its weakest in 50 years in real terms – J.P. Morgan

TOKYO, Jan 6 (Reuters) - The yen's real effective rate has tumbled to its lowest level in 50 years and the currency is set to fall even further, slashing Japanese…

Read More Here

Tokyo shivers under unusually heavy snowfall

TOKYO, Jan 6 (Reuters) - The Japanese capital of Tokyo shivered under an unusually prolonged snowfall on Thursday, with heavy snow warnings issued for the city and surrounding areas for…

Read More Here

Japan’s Okinawa sees doubling of COVID-19 cases, considers emergency steps

TOKYO, Jan 5 (Reuters) - Japan's Okinawa region emerged on Wednesday as the epicentre of a new coronavirus surge with cases more than doubling from the previous day and officials…

Read More Here

Tokyo daily coronavirus cases hit 103, highest since Oct 8

TOKYO, Jan 3 (Reuters) - Daily coronavirus infections in Tokyo hit the highest since Oct. 8 at 103 cases on Monday, the Tokyo government said as more cases of the…

Read More Here

At least 27 people feared dead in blaze at clinic in Japan

TOKYO (Reuters) -At least 27 people were feared dead after a fire swept through a psychiatry clinic in the Japanese city of Osaka on Friday, and media said police were…

Read More Here

Magnitude 5.0 earthquake strikes east of Tokyo

TOKYO, Dec 12 (Reuters) - An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of five struck eastern Japan on Sunday, public broadcaster NHK said. The epicentre of the earthquake was the southern…

Read More Here

Japan to give massive tax breaks to companies that lift wages

TOKYO, Dec 8 (Reuters) - Japan will deny certain tax breaks to big companies that don't hike wages and boost deductions for those that do, as part of efforts to…

Read More Here

EPA’s Eye In The Sky: Osaka, Japan

An intersection in central Osaka is deserted in Osaka. Osaka is a large port city and commercial center on the Japanese island of Honshu Via EPA-EFE/DAI KUROKAWAA

Read More Here

Japan reports 3rd case of Omicron variant in traveller who had been in Italy

TOKYO, Dec 6 (Reuters) - A man in his 30s who had been in Italy has tested positive for the Omicron COVID-19 variant in the third case to be found…

Read More Here

Japan drops ban on inbound flight bookings after confusion

TOKYO, Dec 2 (Reuters) - Japan reversed on Thursday a ban on new inbound flight reservations, revealing confusion between government agencies and the public over Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's strategy…

Read More Here

Japan keen to speed up digital yen launch as China adds geopolitical twist

TOKYO, Dec 1 (Reuters) - Japan's new political leadership is calling on the country's financial bureaucrats to ramp up efforts toward issuing a digital currency, pointing to China's far quicker…

Read More Here

Japan to supplement military spending in rush to bolster air and sea defences

Japan plans to add $6.75 billion to its already record annual military spending in a rush to bolster air and maritime defences as it becomes more concerned about threats posed…

Read More Here

Photo Story: Tokyo lights up for Christmas amid new coronavirus restrictions

A young woman wearing protective face masks touches autumn coloured leaves during a Christmas illuminations event in Tokyo, Japan, 26 November 2021. On 26 November, Japan reported 121 new cases…

Read More Here

Japan plans record extra defence spending as China threat eyed

TOKYO, Nov 19 (Reuters) - Japan plans record defence spending in an extra budget expected to be announced along with an economic stimulus package on Friday as former prime minister…

Read More Here

Japan looks to accept more foreigners in key policy shift

TOKYO, Nov 18 (Reuters) - In a major shift for a country long closed to immigrants, Japan is looking to allow foreigners in certain blue-collar jobs to stay indefinitely starting…

Read More Here